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October 19, 2011

Vintage Illustration - Creepy or Cute?

illustration by G. C. Williams

Thumbing through an old needlework magazine from 1906, this illustration definitely jumped out at me. I love images and illustrations of people working in embroidery, but, isn't the Victorian, Gibson-girl-esque woman's head on the cherub's body a bit strange? What do you think? Creepy or cute?

I'm saying creepy and posting it because Halloween is coming! Maybe she'll become the flying monkey of the embroidery world...(not responsible for ensuing nightmares).

It's funny, the first thing I thought when I saw this was start to think in Art History terms (maybe I've been to one to many museums in the past 3 or so years).

It seems the cover artist was providing their own interpretation of a Putto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putto), and after reading a couple of entries online, this style started popping back up again in the early 1900s. In this case, they are trying to add additional art and thought to the purchaser of these patterns, based on "retro" art styles, if you will.

I like it...think it's funny and cute. I mean...come on. A cherub-like woman stitching? If that doesn't somehow communicate "embroidery-ness is next to Godliness" or the opposite of idle hands on this cover...